Tag "Waste"

The world’s deepest ocean trenches are becoming “the ultimate sink” for plastic waste, according to a study that reveals contamination of animals even in these dark, remote regions of the planet.
For the first time, scientists found microplastic ingestion by organisms in the Mariana trench and five other areas with a depth of more than 6,000 metres, prompting them to conclude “it is highly likely there are no marine ecosystems left that are not impacted by plastic pollution”.
The paper, published in the Royal Society Open Science journal, highlights the threat posed by non-biodegradable substances in clothes, containers and packaging, which make their way from household bins via dump sites and rivers to the oceans, where they break up and sink to the floor.
But the study shows this problem is far more profound than previously realised.
In the Mariana trench – which goes down to the lowest point on earth of 10,890 metres below sea level – 100% of samples contained at least one microparticle.
The materials included polyester-reinforced cotton and fibres made of lyocell, rayon, ramie, polyvinyl and polyethylene.
“If you contaminate a river, it can be flushed clean.
They may also be more vulnerable because the trenches are food-scarce ecosystems, which prompts scavengers and predators to gobble up anything they can find.
Jamieson said some new species are being discovered that have never been seen in an uncontaminated state.
“We have no baseline to measure them against.

Controversial plans to dump up to 15m tonnes of salt and other waste near a creek in drought-stricken Queensland have hit an unexpected roadblock after a court ruled that planning approvals do not allow for trucks to park at the site.
Guardian Australia reported in October that a study had found that the dump, near the town of Chinchilla, north-west of Brisbane, carried a “considerable” risk of water contamination.
The proposal was initially opposed by the Western Downs regional council in 2016.
The council approved the dump several months later, after the proponent, We Kando, launched court action.
More than 50 Australian plant species face extinction within decade Read more The council opposed the court application.
We Kando has another case on the court docket, seeking to overturn a council decision to reject plans for a dedicated truck storage facility.
The company could not be contacted for comment.
But it is understood the court decision creates a logistical problems for the facility, which would take significant amounts of waste product from Queensland’s coal seam gas industry.
Carmel Flint, the coordinator of the anti-mining alliance Lock the Gate, said the court decision was a “significant setback … that underscores the piecemeal and unsatisfactory nature of this project”.
“What’s needed now is an urgent review of waste management by the coal seam gas industry in Queensland.” Dumping 15m tonnes of salt at Queensland creek ‘considerable’ risk to water Read more Proponents are responsible for referring their plans for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act if they are likely to have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance, such as water resources.

It’s hot.
Very hot.
It is a pity the millionaire bosses of privatised water companies do not spend more time lining leaking pipes and less time lining their pockets.
Yet despite this and other controversies over charges, metering, mismanagement of upland catchment areas and periodic downstream flooding, Britain’s water politics are relatively benign.
Not so in many other parts of a densely populated world, where the availability of clean, potable water, and water for agricultural and industrial use is a hot political, security and economic issue – as well as a frequently unmet, basic human need.
But in Egypt, to the north, the dam is seen as a strategic and economic threat.
The Nile provides about 85% of all Egypt’s water.
Its growing population already faces chronic water shortages by 2025.
Some argue that control of water can be strategically decisive – a thesis Moses would presumably support.
Climate change denial cannot be vanquished overnight, no more than we can insist it start raining.

How time flies!
So for all you students out there, here are five ways to enjoy student life AND reduce your impact on the environment!
Reduce food waste One of the simplest ways you can reduce waste (and save money) is to be mindful of the food you buy.
According to Exeter University, students waste on average 780g each per week of food.
You can bulk buy the ingredients to reduce costs.
Hold a screening A documentary viewing is easy to do and provides great insights for discussion.
Make some swaps Next time a disposable item runs out, see what reusable alternative there are.
Try reusable pads or the mooncup for monthly periods, swap disposable razor blades for a safety razor, try washable cloths instead of kitchen towel and consider using a fountain pen instead of biros.
), but over the months the savings really add up.
What about you – how do you reduce your waste?

One of the biggest challenges (aside from food waste) for school cafeterias is how to reduce plastic waste.
The team should include the cafeteria staff, custodian staff, at least one teacher, students and parent volunteers.
They aren’t necessary (in most cases), so they don’t require a replacement — without them, your school immediately saves money and reduces plastic waste.
Find a representative at the district level who can advise your school site about how items in plastic packaging can be replaced with more-sustainable items.
What Can Parents Do?
Parents can pack lunches in reusable lunchboxes or bags.
It’s possible there are other parents who are troubled by the amount of waste being generated in your school’s cafeteria.
When key people in your recycling program leave, this notebook will provide important information for others to use.” Helpful Resources “Organizing Cafeteria Recycling Programs in Elementary Schools: A How-to Guide”: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has put together a guide for planning a recycling program at your school, focusing on the cafeteria.
“A Guide for Implementing a School Recycling Program”: The Virginia Recycling Association has put together a comprehensive guide for starting a school recycling program.
Waste in the cafeteria may seem inevitable, but with a little work, you can change that.

While a number of scientific studies have found tire dust has adverse health effects, the tire industry ― and studies it has commissioned ― suggests otherwise.
Motor vehicles are a major source of this pollution.
Although significant work has gone into researching the contribution of emissions from exhaust pipes to air pollution, emissions such as those produced by tire wear have been largely overlooked, professor Frank Kelly, chair in environmental health at King’s College London, told HuffPost.
But more research is needed to better understand the health effects of tire wear particles, Kelly said, especially as non-tailpipe emissions ― from brake pads and road surfaces as well as tires ― become increasingly important while exhaust emissions are brought under control.
The tire industry, however, has pushed back on suggestions that tire wear particles have health effects.
The Tire Industry Project ― an industry body chaired by the three biggest tire manufacturers, Michelin, Bridgestone and Goodyear ― says it is working to develop a better understanding of the possible health and environmental effects of tire and road wear particles (TRWP).
As part of this ongoing work, it has commissioned a series of peer-reviewed publications.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are being touted as one of the most promising solutions to the air pollution crisis, especially in cities.
Cities around the world are experimenting with ways to get vehicles off the streets.
If the government and companies fail to take action to improve our air, we will be dealing with a global health catastrophe.” For more content and to be part of the “This New World” community, join our Facebook Group.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love some kind of pie.
Strategy 1: Use Leftover Pie Dough There always seems to be leftover pie dough when you’ve finished making a pie.
First, roll out dough scraps to approximately 1/4-inch thick.
Then cut your dough into strips or cut with a cookie cutter.
If you don’t have time to use up your extra dough right away, know that freshly made dough will last up to 48 hours in the refrigerator and up to three months in the freezer.
Another delicious — and healthy option — for your leftover pie dough is Apple Pie Stuffed Apples, from the Two Purple Figs blog.
Strategy 2: Use Leftover Pie If you have pie left over from your National Pie Day celebration (or from Sunday dinner with the family), here are some yummy ways to make sure that pie doesn’t go to waste.
Strategy 3: Have No Pie Left Over If you make an irresistible pie, you’re less likely to have leftovers.
Thanks to Ina’s detailed instruction, the pie turns out perfectly each time I’ve made it, and we never have any left over.
Happy pie baking!

The board of supervisors for this small community near Pittsburgh warned that the injection well “threatens to subject every resident of Grant Township to a slow poisoning, and threatens thousands more who depend on Grant Township’s watershed for clean water.”
The community’s law, they added, bans the injection well “as a violation of our basic civil rights.”
PGE operates multiple gas-extraction wells in the township.
Rights of Nature, Local Governance CELDF, which has defended Grant’s efforts to prevent waste injection wells for over three years, has worked with some 200 municipalities in the U.S. to defend local laws challenging similar corporate projects.
Grant Township, for example, is elevating a “right of self-government,” rights “to clean air, water, and soil” and “ecosystem rights” above corporations’ “rights” to inject waste from oil and gas extraction in the township.
Grant Township is the fourth local government CELDF has defended in federal court.
Local Governments Sanctioned Across U.S. CELDF is not alone in facing sanctions for challenging so-called settled law on similar issues.
The campaign said at least seven states have “super preemption” bills on the books that sanction local officials who dare challenge specific state preemption bills that rescind powers from municipalities.
New bills, such as Texas’s highly controversial “show me your papers” and sanctuary city preemption bill (SB4), also include punitive language for municipalities pushing back against state and federal authority.
However, the court ruled that local officials can be sanctioned if they outright ban police from asking for people’s immigration papers, and other sections of the bill are in effect, including a section that threatens punishment for local jail officers.

Adding materials to a recycling program means finding new end markets and developing clear communication campaigns for residents and businesses.
San Francisco residents and businesses will be seeing a range of educational messaging over a multi-year period, and contamination is a priority.
Hudson said that a talented team of commodity experts, and a diversity of markets, is “key to our success.”
FPI’s members also include MRFs and recycling companies, so they factor that perspective into any discussions about program expansions “I think that there’s always a concern when you introduce a new material or a new product into the recycling stream.
Added: Pizza boxes; paper and plastic plates, cups, take-out containers; plastic produce, deli and bakery containers and trays FPI also facilitated expansions for Louisville and Chattanooga. “The last thing we want to do is have people put materials into some sort of recycling stream that’s just going to end up at a landfill,” said Dyer.
While QRS may have already been receiving some of these take-out items, and had markets for them, residents didn’t necessarily know that.
As is the case at any MRF, reducing contamination is a top priority and this new education campaign was seen as a chance to make sure residents were doing the right thing with all their recyclables.
That has helped reduce labor costs and expanded the range of acceptable plastic materials.
Other items, such as plastic cups and film plastic, were considered but didn’t make the cut due to sorting.

Philadelphia has released a new action plan for becoming a “zero waste” city by 2035 — and while the goal may be lofty, the steps to get there are more measured.
Unlike other “zero waste” cities that have set benchmarks or targets they may not always hit, Philadelphia’s Zero Waste & Litter Cabinet intentionally created a timeline that only looks one year into the future.
This entailed looking at how 1.5 million tons of commercial and residential waste are created in the city each year, why the overall diversion rate for that material has plateaued around 40% and what can be done to start making progress while the feasibility of a larger change is analyzed.
Philadelphia’s residential material is collected from 540,000 households by the Streets Department and about 20% of it was diverted in 2014.
For multi-unit and commercial buildings, the diversion rate in 2014 was 45%, with a portion of refuse going to Waste Management’s SpecFUEL facility in the city.
The city’s goal of 90% diversion by 2035 does allow for the remaining 10% to be processed by WTE facilities.
Tracking the progress of this work will require more data collection.
This new rate will now include diversion from reuse and repair — an area which New York has also begun trying to measure — as well as food recovery and many other categories.
Other approaches will build on existing community strengths.
Next steps By this time next year, the city aims to be well underway with waste audits, certification training, litter indexing and public education.

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